1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to upper body protectors for athletes, and in particular for athletes engaged in a fast moving sport such as motorcycle riding, bicycle racing, boat racing, hockey, roller derby, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional upper body protection devices for athletes typically include different configurations and designs for ensuring protection of the athlete's shoulder, chest, and back areas. Many athletic endeavors require upper body protection of the type which could be utilized in motorcycle riding, bicycle riding, boat racing, hockey, roller derby, and the like.
Improvement is always desired from a safety standpoint and is extremely advantageous when the wearer is protected in all aspects of physical contact, including protection from danger of injury from portions of the protective equipment itself. Therefore, it is important in any kind of protective equipment that the structure of same assure that certain types of blows do not cause parts of the protective equipment to endanger the athlete. While the following disclosure relates primarily to motorcycle riding, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention could apply equally well in other sports in which the athlete is exposed to similar types of potential bodily harm.
A particular need for upper body protection is encountered in many sports of the types hereinbefore mentioned, including off-road cross country motorcycle riding and racing, such as motocross. In off-road motorcycle racing competition, there is need to prevent injuries due to accidents, and to protect the rider from rocks, dirt, and other flying debris which is churned up by the racing motorcycle wheels. In the past, a number of structures have been utilized in an attempt to provide protection, including breastplates, chest protectors, clothing made of strong fabric such as leather or other heavy material, and vests. However, all of the above items as found in the prior art provide less than adequate coverage of the critical upper body areas which are desired to be protected.
The types of injuries which may occur in a motocross environment for example, include rocks and other debris being thrown against the body of the rider. The rocks may be in the path of the rider as a result of the rider's own motorcycle, or from the motorcycles travelling ahead of the rider. An even more dangerous situation arises when the rider of the motorcycle has an accident and falls or is thrown from the motorcycle while riding. Particular injuries are especially worrisome such as trauma to the spine or lower back area, which many times is not protected by conventional upper body protection devices.
Aside from the impact to the shoulder and chest area which occurs when the rider falls from a moving motorcycle, there is a serious danger that various protuberances and pieces of the motorcycle itself may impale or strike the rider, such as the handlebars, kickstand, and other portions of the motorcycle forming a sharp or pointed object. A further danger is that the motorcycle rider be injured not only by his own motorcycle, but in a typical racing situation there are also other riders and motorcycles which may cause injury from which the rider must be protected.
Conventional upper body protection equipment utilized include protective wear to be worn under the outer clothing of the athlete, and incorporates a series of layers to provide added protection to the upper body. However, wearing many layers can be burdensome and heavy, and can restrict movement which is very important during the athlete's racing activities.
Numerous devices are available which seek to protect the rider from rocks. However, none of the devices afford adequate protection for the shoulders from the effect of a sudden impact. In most instances, the conventional devices for protection of the athlete's shoulders are capable of being depressed directly against the shoulder upon impact, and do not in any way efficiently and effectively diffuse or disperse the impact to reduce the force of the blow to any particular area of the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,726 to Owi relates to prior disclosure of a shoulder guard for football players, which includes a shoulder cap or epaulet hingedly attached to a shoulder portion of the device forming a flange pocket to shield the shoulder when a lateral force is exerted against the epaulet. In addition, the front and back body portions are flexibly joined. There is no provision in the prior art for shielding the shoulder from a downward, lateral, or upward force, or for effectively diffusing the force of the impact. Furthermore, there is no provision in the prior art for a unitary solid construction to protect the sternum and spine of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,106 to Austin relates to prior disclosure of a shoulder guard for football players to restrict downward movement of a shoulder cap or epaulet toward the shoulder of the person wearing the guard, by means of an inner edge of the epaulet seating in a channel of the shoulder portion. The epaulet is fastened directly to the shoulder portion. Similarly, there is no provision in the prior art for unitary construction, or a mechanism for dispersing the impact on the shoulders of the wearer directed from any of a number of different directions.
Other conventional devices in the area of shoulder pad protection as developed for football players include U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,871, U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,560, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,027 relating to prior disclosure of shoulder pad constructions. The body protector portions of such devices are formed of flexibly joined front and back body portions to eliminate restriction of movement. In addition, said devices typically attach the shoulder cap or epaulet portion directly to the shoulder portion for protecting the shoulder and the bicep, tricep and deltoid muscular intersection of the upper arm where the humorus is otherwise exposed. Such devices do not provide adequate protection against injuries to the sternum or spine since they are flexibly joined at the areas of the sternum and at the area of the spine, presenting added special dangers of injury from sharp objects of the type encountered by motorcycle riders. Furthermore, such devices do not provide for adequate distribution of an impact to the shoulder area to reduce the force of the impact.
There is no provision in the prior art for lightweight devices which do not impede the movement required in maneuvering the racing equipment, e.g. a motorcycle during a motorcross. The bulky type of heavy gear encountered in conventional padding as used in a football player environment is cumbersome and impedes the action of the athlete, such that such equipment is entirely unreasonable to be used in a riding or racing environment. In addition, such devices do not provide the freedom of movement required for negotiating and maneuvering the handlebars of a motorcycle, bicycle, or boat as encountered in a racing competition situation.
Moreover, there is no provision in the prior art for recognizing the problems associated with moving at higher speeds, more than sixty (60) miles per hour in some cases, where efficient air flow and directional air movement is important to the athlete, both in terms of minimizing wind resistance, and providing adequate ventilation. Unlike a football player athlete's environment, an athlete involved in motocross, bicycle racing, boat racing, and the like must remain under physical stress for long periods of time, and is not entitled to a rest after every play, jolt or bump. It must be recognized that the upper body protector must be worn continuously for long periods of time during the race, and withstand constant punishment and stress from flying, debris, heat, sudden impacts, and the like. Therefore, a heavy and bulky upper body protection device is not an appropriate type of construction for use in such an environment.
Moreover, conventional shoulder guard protectors typically utilize a soft outer surface to soften the impact felt by the other players. However, this type of construction has the opposite effect from that desired in a motocross when rocks are hitting the upper body at over sixty (60) miles per hour. A soft surface would tend to absorb the force and momentum associated with the impact of the rock, rather than causing the rock to glance off or be sharply deflected immediately away from the body of the wearer. Also, a soft outer surface would tend to cause rocks and debris to accumulate on the surface, and tend to allow said debris to stick and remain with the rider, which cause extra weight and bulk empeding the rider's movement and causing him to slow down.
Further, such prior art devices are typically constructed of leather or other soft pliable material of bulky size. There is no disclosure in such prior art devices for obtaining maximum strength with minimum weight. Such bulkiness prevents such types of equipment from being appropriate for motorcycle riders. In addition, such equipment has many flaps and interconnections and is not adapted to be worn on the outside of the clothing, but must have an outer protective garment, such as a jersey, to hold the protective equipment in place.
Such prior art shoulder and upper body protection equipment includes complicated reinforced structures which are expensive to manufacture due to increased material requirements and more complex structural interconnections.
Aside from the above mentioned problems of increased manufacturing costs and lack of durability due to the complicated nature of the devices, such conventional upper body protectors are often uncomfortable to the wearer. The neck area many times is sharp and protruding and causes discomfort. Furthermore, the weight of such prior art devices and the body heat generated beneath them due to lack of ventilation is quite undesirable.
Finally, conventional upper body protectors do not provide a sturdy yet convenient device for adequately protecting the upper body from sudden impacts and sharp objects while providing maximum strength, protection, and comfort, with minimum weight.